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Austria is a pretty country and very modern and civilized, but the
Austrian people are weird, and I think they might be masochists, which
isn't surprising given that the Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, the guy who
invented masochism, was Austrian.

Vienna resembles San Francisco up to a point, especially the graffiti
and the complete lack of public toilets. Austrian toilet paper sucks
- like wiping your ass with sandpaper - and it costs at least €3 for a
4-pack.

There are no supermarkets or big box retail stores in Austria. There
are grocery stores, and they sell groceries, and only a few basic non-
food items like soap and overpriced toilet paper.

Just about every shop sells specialty items, and they look at you like
you're insane if you ask for something they don't sell. Postcard
shops sell postcards, you stupid American. Why would you think they
sell stamps?

There are no drugstores, either. Unlike San Francisco which has a
Walgreens on just about every corner, there is nothing similar in
Vienna. There are pharmacies - also called apothecaries - but they
only sell medications, and half of the items are quack homepathic
'remedies.'

Austrians smoke like chimneys, and since only specialty stores are
allowed, there is a tobacco shop on every corner. Austrians also
drink a lot, so there are lots of pubs. There are no restrictions on
indoor smoking, and the whole city smells like an ashtray, almost as
bad as Las Vegas. But for all their vices, I do not see any evidence
of recreational drugs, though there are two headshops in the city.

Offhand, I would say the prices in Vienna are at least 50% higher than
in San Francisco - the most expensive city in the USA - though they
include an obnoxious 15% VAT which pays for their 'free' medical
care. The fact that Obama devalued the dollar right as soon as I got
here doesn't help, either. **** Obama.

Vienna does have an excellent public transit system, though. The city
U-Bahn costs €1.8 per trip, though 72-hour passes are available for
13.60 euros.

At least the food is good, and there are hundreds of good restaurants
where you can get a delicious pork schnitzel for less than €5.

My next stop is in Eastern Europe. It's a good thing I came in the
fall, because in the winter it can get very depressing.